tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69672112018-01-16T00:54:41.139+08:00Pulau Ubin StoriesStories, old and new, about Pulau Ubin, SingaporeSivasothi Nhttps://plus.google.com/102332233203103466576noreply@blogger.comBlogger261125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967211.post-60980464780795601952016-05-20T23:53:00.000+08:002016-05-20T23:53:45.046+08:00Ubin Day turns Pesta Ubin!Last year we wrote about the <a href="http://pulauubinstories.blogspot.sg/2015/01/ubin-day-past-present-and-future.html">revival of Ubin Day</a> in 2014, more than a decade after its inception in 2002. Since then, Ubin Day just kept growing! In 2015, it became <a href="http://ubinday2015.blogspot.sg/">Ubin Day Weekend</a> where the non-stop activities were held over both Saturday and Sunday. But all of us Ubin lovers just couldn't get enough of it and so this year 2016, Ubin Day has become a five-week long Ubin open house known as <a href="http://pestaubin2016.blogspot.sg/">Pesta Ubin</a>, from the month of May to June!<br /><br />Pesta, <i>pronounced ‘Pays-ta’</i>, is Malay for festival or party. Pesta often describes festivities that bring a community together, such as a wedding; or a cultural celebration and there is no better word to describe how this wonderful event is bringing the community together!<br /><br />This is not just a specialised niche event reaching out to nature lovers, or an outdoors adventure event, or yet another heritage event. It has something for everyone who loves something about this wonderful granite island or has something to do with this last wild frontier and rural kampong - from delicious seafood to <a href="http://pestaubin2016.blogspot.sg/search/label/fish%20farm">farm tours</a> to heritage and <a href="http://pestaubin2016.blogspot.sg/2016/05/20-25-may-learn-more-about-tua-pek-kong.html">temple celebrations</a> to <a href="http://pestaubin2016.blogspot.sg/2016/04/14-may-sat-evening-at-wayang-stage-by.html#more">world premiere of new movies</a>! From the <a href="http://pestaubin2016.blogspot.sg/search/label/kayaking">kayakers</a> to the <a href="http://pestaubin2016.blogspot.sg/search/label/stargazing">stargazers</a>, there is just something for everyone. And nothing brings together people from all walks and all interests together in the same place like Pulau Ubin.<br /><br />For the past 2 ubin days, I was only able to help out behind the scenes as the social media manager, updating and coordinating updates to facebook and the blog from home, away from the action in Ubin as I was pregnant one year, and juggling an infant the next. This year, the Ubin Stories team is one toddler stronger and we will be guiding at the <a href="http://pestaubin2016.blogspot.sg/2016/03/5-jun-sun-balik-chek-jawa.html">Balik Chek Jawa</a> event on Sunday 5 June! This will be the son's first sojourn to ubin with ubin grandma and mummy! I am looking forward to being reunited with the fibre glass dugongs from the 2008 <a href="http://pulauubinstories.blogspot.com/2008/05/may-day-dugong-ambassadors-outreach-at.html">May Day Dugong Ambassadors Outreach</a> at Chek Jawa as well as friends involved in Chek Jawa since pre-reclamation deferment till today! From old friends such as the <a href="http://pestaubin2016.blogspot.sg/2016/04/5-jun-sun-journey-to-east-with-pedal.html">pedal ubin</a> guides who will be helping to bring you on bicycles to Chek Jawa and the <a href="http://nakedhermitcrabs.blogspot.sg/">Naked Hermit Crabs </a>who will be wandering as guides throughout the boardwalks, to new friends such as the <a href="http://rum-initiative.blogspot.sg/p/what-is-ecological-mangrove-restoration.html">Restore Ubin Mangroves (R.U.M.)</a> Initiative which was started in 2014.<br /><br />With my mom with me at Balik Chek Jawa, we hope to share stories about Ubin, maybe meet old classmates, neighbors (or relatives I never knew I had!) and hope to collect stories you have on Ubin! If you have or had family and relatives from Ubin, bring them and we hope to meet you at Balik Chek Jawa to hear your stories. See you there!<br /><br />Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967211.post-65248909943678301612015-02-10T15:39:00.002+08:002015-02-10T15:53:03.548+08:00Another facelift for German Girl Shrine<img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3XXdG44RYsA/VNmuYd0z0ZI/AAAAAAAAAn0/U-2gj97lHwo/s1600/1911867_831826546863857_4334916294886803105_n.jpg" width="400" /><br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by Faizah Jamal</span><br /><br />It appears that Datuk Guniang at the German Girl Shrine will be getting a new temple face lift. Faizah Jamal reported on 10 Feb 2015 that the altar is now residing in a temporary shelter while the old hut of a temple has been demolished. In its place, a new brick and mortar temple is being constructed. <br /><br /><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XGRAkUmfVH0/VNmuYAYQRII/AAAAAAAAAnw/XaBpjFXajJc/s1600/10959879_831826890197156_4815508773428158801_n.jpg" width="400" /><br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by Faizah Jamal</span><br /><br />Faizah wrote:<br /><blockquote>"Was at Pulau Ubin last weekend with a group of students and as has always been my practice, to take visitors to the German Girl Shrine as an example of the living culture of Ubin important to people beyond the island's residents. Horrified to find that the shrine as I knew it is no longer there. Instead there is to be a newly constructed - and what looks to be much bigger and modern- shrine."</blockquote>This is not the first facelift that the temple has had at its current location. 10 years ago in 2004, <a href="http://pulauubinstories.blogspot.sg/2004/09/changing-with-time.html">we reported a change</a> in the facade of the temple as well. Even before that,&nbsp;<a href="http://pulauubinstories.blogspot.sg/2005/12/white-girl-of-pulau-ubin.html">the shrine was relocated</a>&nbsp;in 1974 from its original site on a hill to its current location when the original site was required for quarry expansion.&nbsp;From a crumbling wooden structure to a bright airy spruced up shrine, to a more permanent brick structure, the german girl shrine is still very much a symbol of cross-cultural 'fusion' in Singapore that holds a special place in many of our hearts.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.simplygreen.com.sg/images/u7011d.jpg" height="120" />&nbsp;<img src="http://habitatnews.nus.edu.sg/heritage/ubin/stories/images/08-15-04_1117200.jpg" height="120" /><br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Last reported change on Pulau Ubin Stories in 2004</span><br /><br />Facelift aside, and more importantly, I hope the large granite boulder that, according to stories from my mother, marked the temple when it was on the hill, will continue to stand guard at the new temple when it is completed. I do recall seeing it previously at its current location, outside the shrine and appearing to be rather significant to devotees. It is definitely something worth checking out when the new temple is completed.Monkeynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967211.post-89365533274678467992015-01-07T15:32:00.001+08:002015-01-07T20:11:45.040+08:00Ubin Day: Past, present and future<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><u><b>Past: 2002 and 2003</b></u><br /><br />Ubin Day was first held in April 2002 organised by Grant Pereira with the Singapore Environment Council (SEC). Activities consisted of educational workshops, talks and performances at the wayang stage. It focused on teaching participants on how to conserve natural resources and to appreciate the beauty of nature.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5VWGjbIC6gk/VKzVXDCRSrI/AAAAAAAAAvo/Hy9gEv8KaDg/s1600/ubin01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5VWGjbIC6gk/VKzVXDCRSrI/AAAAAAAAAvo/Hy9gEv8KaDg/s1600/ubin01.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dikir Barat at the Wayang Stage</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WFEITuIvQA4/VKzVXYu7i_I/AAAAAAAAAvs/GnU2m0pMPJ4/s1600/ubin02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WFEITuIvQA4/VKzVXYu7i_I/AAAAAAAAAvs/GnU2m0pMPJ4/s1600/ubin02.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SEC Tent</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bKFd9fLT_I8/VKzVYv5kPNI/AAAAAAAAAv4/MVCDh78te58/s1600/ubin03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bKFd9fLT_I8/VKzVYv5kPNI/AAAAAAAAAv4/MVCDh78te58/s1600/ubin03.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can Sculpture by Students</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;">Images by Juliana Yasin</div><br /><u><b><br /></b></u><u><b>Revival: Ubin Day 2014, 30 November</b></u><br /><u><br /></u><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CLmTlRz4PDw/VKzgRd5g2xI/AAAAAAAAAws/IQalyccTjfM/s1600/ubin%2Bday%2Bbadge%2B2%2Bcopy%2B2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CLmTlRz4PDw/VKzgRd5g2xI/AAAAAAAAAws/IQalyccTjfM/s1600/ubin%2Bday%2Bbadge%2B2%2Bcopy%2B2.png" height="318" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ubin Day Badge design by Rebecca Lee, <br />Graduate of School of the Arts</td></tr></tbody></table><u><br /></u>After a decade of hiatus, Ubin Day has come a long way since 2003 due to the support of <a href="http://ubinday2014.wix.com/ubin#!organisations/c1m3p">31 organising groups</a>. Thank you to all that contributed activities and without whom Ubin Day 2014 would not have been possible! A day dedicated to celebrating the natural heritage of Pulau Ubin, it was a Sunday for all to have fun and leave their troubles behind on the mainland.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JlzQkiAMb_M/VKzZ2uCDsLI/AAAAAAAAAwE/Kj4cxAgSEHs/s1600/10609583_10152789437557752_5604227438971283704_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JlzQkiAMb_M/VKzZ2uCDsLI/AAAAAAAAAwE/Kj4cxAgSEHs/s1600/10609583_10152789437557752_5604227438971283704_n.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The programme board designed by Rebecca Lee and Sankar Ananthanarayanan.</td></tr></tbody></table>List of the types of activities:<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Art</li><li>Birdwatching</li><li>Cycling</li><li>Exhibitions</li><li>Fly fishing demonstration</li><li>Guided tours</li><li>Mountain biking</li><li>Kayaking</li><li>Performances</li><li>Photography</li><li>Stargazing</li><li>Talk on Kampong Houses</li><li>Workshops</li></ul><br />The day was officially opened by PM Lee who spent the day engaging in various activities around the island!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sxUqwBx2Mx4/VKzcT0_I1EI/AAAAAAAAAwY/uttHIFTlJfs/s1600/B3ptno-CYAALNmE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sxUqwBx2Mx4/VKzcT0_I1EI/AAAAAAAAAwY/uttHIFTlJfs/s1600/B3ptno-CYAALNmE.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening speech</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gm8eBB24Hg8/VKzcR1n6nHI/AAAAAAAAAwQ/YINgBmLEdFA/s1600/10418385_10152789439422752_2940686140170281560_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gm8eBB24Hg8/VKzcR1n6nHI/AAAAAAAAAwQ/YINgBmLEdFA/s1600/10418385_10152789439422752_2940686140170281560_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The PM looking at a baby dugong</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dGTJHJLdmNc/VKzcUKLbFfI/AAAAAAAAAwc/D1_Rh7NLqk0/s1600/10704083_10152789439727752_3937297280902403306_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dGTJHJLdmNc/VKzcUKLbFfI/AAAAAAAAAwc/D1_Rh7NLqk0/s1600/10704083_10152789439727752_3937297280902403306_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PM engaging in conversation with one of the founders of <br />Ubin Day 2002, Grant Pereira from the Green Volunteers</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photos by Sumita Thiagarajan</span>&nbsp;</div><br />You can watch the highlights of the PM's day in this video:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowFullScreen='true' webkitallowfullscreen='true' mozallowfullscreen='true' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/dlVq9GzPma4?feature=player_embedded' FRAMEBORDER='0' /></div><br />Here's a glimpse of what happened on Ubin Day 2014:<br /><br /><div class="storify"><iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="no" height="750" src="//storify.com/acroamatic/ubin-day/embed?header=false&amp;border=false&amp;template=slideshow" width="100%"></iframe><script src="//storify.com/acroamatic/ubin-day.js?header=false&amp;border=false&amp;template=slideshow"></script><noscript>[<a href="//storify.com/acroamatic/ubin-day" target="_blank">View the story "Ubin Day 2014" on Storify</a>]</noscript></div>Thank you for the Storify, Kenneth Pinto!<br /><br />More details can be found on the <a href="http://ubinday2014.wix.com/ubin">official website</a> and the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pulauubinday">Facebook page</a>.<br /><br /><u><b>Future: 2015 and beyond...</b></u><br /><br />Efforts to preserve and improve Pulau Ubin have been picked up by MND through <a href="http://ubin.mnd.gov.sg/MS/PulauUbin.aspx">the Ubin project</a>. Hopefully this will become a yearly event for all to enjoy! If you would like to contribute, watch the Facebook page for updates.<br /><br /><b>Other related links:</b><br /><b><br /></b><a href="http://infohouse.p2ric.org/ref/40/39468.pdf">SEC Newsletter (April 2002)</a>&nbsp;- Elements - April 2002 Newsletter issued by Singapore Environment Council [PDF]<br /><br /><a href="http://www.tav.org.sg/archives_2002_ubin-day.html">TAV Archives</a> - Ubin Day (20 April 2002)<br /><br /><br /></div>Sumita Thttps://plus.google.com/108957145690465853739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967211.post-48339207427548523742015-01-07T12:31:00.000+08:002015-01-07T21:55:04.282+08:00The Ubin dogs: The friendly, furry mascots of Ubin<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Have you met the friendly Ubin dogs? Free from the stress of city life, these four-legged sweethearts are first to greet you when you step on Ubin Jetty. If you are not too comfortable with dogs, do not fret as these dogs are well-behaved and there is no cause for concern. Also known as Kampong dogs, these furry ambassadors encompass the true meaning of the Kampong spirit through their wagging tails and friendliness towards anyone and everyone that steps on the island.<br /><br />A day in the life of an Ubin dog is often tasked with greeting visitors, playing amongst themselves, running around the island and taking a dip in the sea.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_i3dLPxSINI/VKvpoacnvBI/AAAAAAAAAuk/MAvjDHI_10Y/s1600/10252001_10152636961367752_7220787978607357151_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_i3dLPxSINI/VKvpoacnvBI/AAAAAAAAAuk/MAvjDHI_10Y/s1600/10252001_10152636961367752_7220787978607357151_n.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Most days are spent soaking up the sand and sun and resting under a coconut tree.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D09e2LEvQZM/VKvpqVVjYqI/AAAAAAAAAvI/KDGleqD773o/s1600/1508589_10152835448682752_1778311848263747222_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D09e2LEvQZM/VKvpqVVjYqI/AAAAAAAAAvI/KDGleqD773o/s1600/1508589_10152835448682752_1778311848263747222_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More belly rubs please!</td></tr></tbody></table><br />These pups will accompany you on solo bicycle rides, run alongside your vans and keep you company on the whole island. However, this can get tiring and these content fur-balls are often seen taking a nap to recharge their paws for another day of the glorious island life and hours of playing under the sun.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-orubFpkExuc/VKvpoWij11I/AAAAAAAAAug/t-px05EV2Pc/s1600/10304354_10152510078367752_6181922331409918942_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-orubFpkExuc/VKvpoWij11I/AAAAAAAAAug/t-px05EV2Pc/s1600/10304354_10152510078367752_6181922331409918942_n.jpg" height="320" width="234" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tudor style housing, my favourite. - Spotted at House no.1&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cvPAZg49-Tg/VKvpoXSOMQI/AAAAAAAAAuo/-WdCvrynQfY/s1600/10525984_10152510078287752_8127082251578381738_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cvPAZg49-Tg/VKvpoXSOMQI/AAAAAAAAAuo/-WdCvrynQfY/s1600/10525984_10152510078287752_8127082251578381738_n.jpg" height="320" width="234" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I would greet you but I'm too tired! - Spotted at House no.1</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GRufUca-0_I/VKvppKuxckI/AAAAAAAAAvA/VLcFmvoKVTQ/s1600/10548875_10152510166072752_1956591965952747614_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GRufUca-0_I/VKvppKuxckI/AAAAAAAAAvA/VLcFmvoKVTQ/s1600/10548875_10152510166072752_1956591965952747614_o.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This little one didn't even realize I was there. - Spotted at House no.1</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y9Y90Z7obpk/VKvppRryfNI/AAAAAAAAAu0/ZkooPLTq3v0/s1600/10563076_10152510078252752_653183145857139502_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y9Y90Z7obpk/VKvppRryfNI/AAAAAAAAAu0/ZkooPLTq3v0/s1600/10563076_10152510078252752_653183145857139502_n.jpg" height="320" width="234" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Have you come with food? - Spotted at House no.1</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Some of these resident dogs are so good at being ambassadors, they are often given names by Ubin folk or those that frequent Pulau Ubin.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--3XGQ0u6ybQ/VKvppb2-f8I/AAAAAAAAAu8/RmRaZ17PKYs/s1600/10888641_10152889280857752_4049514276731777993_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--3XGQ0u6ybQ/VKvppb2-f8I/AAAAAAAAAu8/RmRaZ17PKYs/s1600/10888641_10152889280857752_4049514276731777993_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the well-known resident dogs, Bytyy (pronounced as Bitey), <br />frequenting his favourite spot at the HSBC Volunteer Hub or Assembly Area</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W3BFcBC_bZU/VKvpqMNoKNI/AAAAAAAAAvE/ePlAGyDD4UM/s1600/10898150_10152889280917752_2571969380892235177_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W3BFcBC_bZU/VKvpqMNoKNI/AAAAAAAAAvE/ePlAGyDD4UM/s1600/10898150_10152889280917752_2571969380892235177_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking for a tasty housefly to snap!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">More details on these Kampong dogs <a href="http://ubinday2014.wix.com/ubin#!Appreciating-Kampong-Dogs-by-Save-our-Street-Dogs/c1h84/587AC52B-E477-4DD3-A0F4-D6CBA6CC0345">here</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Photos by Sumita Thiagarajan</div><br /></div>Sumita Thttps://plus.google.com/108957145690465853739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967211.post-8346494847163309932014-07-17T15:33:00.003+08:002014-07-17T16:04:11.354+08:00Ubin Stamp Series<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5XLfsRAcW2c/U8d6KO9DJeI/AAAAAAAAAkk/ZlmBMmxVA20/s1600/ubinstamps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5XLfsRAcW2c/U8d6KO9DJeI/AAAAAAAAAkk/ZlmBMmxVA20/s1600/ubinstamps.jpg" height="250" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="http://www.singpost.com/download/AboutSingPost/Media/NewsReleases/2014/pr20140717.pdf">Singpost News Release</a>&nbsp;[PDF]</td></tr></tbody></table>I grew up quite the stamp buff and spent many of my childhood days queueing up for first day covers at the post office. Although I have not bought any first day covers in a while, this beautiful (and of personal interest) first day cover makes me want to indulge again! I'm really glad that they have decided to do a stamp series on Ubin and such beautiful illustrations too. My favourites amongst the four must be the wayang stage and the jetty, for the little glimpse into Ubin's past they offers. This collaboration between Singpost and NHB also means that the <a href="http://www.singpost.com/download/AboutSingPost/Media/NewsReleases/2014/pr20140717.pdf">news release</a> is rich with history about the 4 landmarks featured on the stamps. For archive sake, I have reproduced the factoids below.<br /><br />There were of course other stamp series inspired by Ubin before, such as the <a href="http://www.singpost.com/downloads/media/press_release/04/PR20041016.pdf">Chek Jawa nature series</a>&nbsp;[PDF] from 2004 which celebrated the beauty of Chek Jawa's biodiversity. One does lament though that it hardly provides any glimpse of the Ubin landscape except for the faint beacon in the background, if you can spot it!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ny9L_G731bU/U8d9B1Zt_gI/AAAAAAAAAkw/mZRzxFHLmg4/s1600/chekjawastampseries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ny9L_G731bU/U8d9B1Zt_gI/AAAAAAAAAkw/mZRzxFHLmg4/s1600/chekjawastampseries.jpg" height="112" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="http://www.singpost.com/downloads/media/press_release/04/PR20041016.pdf">Singpost News Release</a> [PDF]</td></tr></tbody></table>Well, you know the stamps have really captured my attention when I broke my one year silence on this blog to post about it! The new stamp series will be released on 18 July 2014, a date to remember. An event worth recording on Pulau Ubin Stories, for posterity!<br /><br /><b>Other Related Reads:</b><br /><a href="http://www.singpost.com/download/AboutSingPost/Media/NewsReleases/2014/pr20140717.pdf">Singpost Press Release</a> -&nbsp;A Glimpse into the Islands of Singapore - Pulau Ubin Through Stamps [PDF]<br /><br />----<br /><b>Four landmarks showcased on stamps: Main Jetty, Chek Jawa, The Wayang Stage and a Quarry</b><br /><a href="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/pulau-ubin-stamp-series/1268626.html?cid=FBSG">Channel News Asia</a>, 17 Jul 2014<br /><br />SINGAPORE: A series of stamps depicting Pulau Ubin’s iconic landmarks will be available from Friday (July 18).<br /><br />The stamps, launched by SingPost and the National Heritage Board, feature images of four landmarks: The Main Jetty (2nd local), Chek Jawa (S$0.65), the Wayang Stage (S$0.80) and a Quarry (S$1.10).<br /><br />The complete set is priced at S$2.87. Other products include a Pre-Cancelled First Day Cover affixed with the complete set of stamps, priced S$3.70, and a Presentation Pack with the complete set of stamps, priced at S$4.65.<br /><br />The new stamp issue, Islands of Singapore – Pulau Ubin, will be available at all post offices, the Singapore Philatelic Museum and online at <a href="http://www.stampdelight.com/">www.stampdelight.com</a>.<br /><br />----<br /><b>A Glimpse into the Islands of Singapore - Pulau Ubin Through Stamps</b><br /><a href="http://www.singpost.com/download/AboutSingPost/Media/NewsReleases/2014/pr20140717.pdf">Singpost News Release</a>&nbsp;[PDF]<br /><br />Singapore, 17 July 2014 - The boomerang shaped Pulau Ubin, Singapore’s second largest offshore island, lies on the Straits of Johor off the north-eastern coast of Singapore. It was once known as Granite Island. Four of its iconic landmarks are captured in this stunning new stamp issue, Islands of Singapore - Pulau Ubin. SingPost and the National Heritage Board (NHB) collaborated to launch this series of stamps which comes in four denominations - 2nd Local, S$0.65, S$0.80 and S$1.10.<br /><br /><b>Main Jetty (2nd Local) </b><br /><br />The main jetty on Pulau Ubin was first built by the Japanese between 1942 and 1943, and rebuilt in 1965. In 1978, a new jetty was built which was upgraded in 1994 to include a shelter and a seating area. Ferry services between Pulau Ubin and Singapore are provided by licensed bumboat operators. <br /><br /><b>Chek Jawa (S$0.65) </b><br /><br />Chek Jawa, located at the eastern tip of Pulau Ubin, is a natural beach that is teeming with marine wildlife. It is also one of Singapore’s richest ecosystems with six distinct habitats including mud and sandflats, mangrove, coastal forest, lagoon, coral rubble and a small island called Pulau Sekudu. The beauty of Chek Jawa lies in the fact that several different ecosystems exist in a small area. These ecosystems, the plants and animals found there, are no longer common in mainland Singapore. It is a popular natural heritage destination and boasts a visitor centre, over 1 kilometre of boardwalk and the Jejawi Tower. <br /><br /><b>The Wayang Stage (S$0.80) </b><br /><br />The Wayang Stage on Pulau Ubin is located at the centre of Ubin village. The stage was originally a simple wooden structure with an attap roof but was rebuilt in 1939 and 1971. It was once a classroom for the children during the 1960s as well as a venue for election rallies. Today, it is still used for performances three times a year namely, during the fourth month of the lunar calendar, Vesak Day and Hungry Ghost Festival. <br /><br /><b>A Quarry (S$1.10) </b><br /><br />Pulau Ubin was one of two main granite quarrying sites in Singapore and accounted then for approximately 25% of the granite reserves in Singapore. The mining of granite on the island started in mid 1840s and by the 1850s, government quarries were established and convicts were deployed to mine granite for the construction of historically important structures including Horsburgh Lighthouse on Pedra Branca (1851), Fort Canning (1858), Raffles Lighthouse (1855), Singapore Harbour (1913), the Causeway (1923), and Fort Canning Reservoir (1926). By 1934, there were at least ten operating quarries on Pulau Ubin. The mining of granite ceased in the 1960s with the last quarry on Pulau Ubin closed in 1999. Since then, all defunct quarries have become scenic lakes.<br /><br />The complete set of stamps is priced at S$2.87. Other products include a Pre-Cancelled First Day Cover affixed with the complete set of stamps (S$3.70), and a Presentation Pack with complete set of stamps (S$4.65). <br /><br />The Islands of Singapore - Pulau Ubin stamp issue is available from tomorrow, 18 July 2014 at all post offices, the Singapore Philatelic Museum and online at www.stampdelight.com. Please refer to Annex 1 for more information. <br /><br /><b>Pulau Ubin Commemoration Efforts </b><br /><br />The Ministry of National Development (MND) has recently launched The Ubin Project to gather public feedback and work with the community to preserve and sensitively enhance the island, so that Pulau Ubin remains an enjoyable rustic destination for all. <br /><br />In May this year, a broad network of stakeholders was formed to share their ideas on how to continue to enhance Ubin as a rustic sanctuary that is both charming and unique. Called the Friends of Ubin Network (FUN), it included members of various heritage and nature groups, socio-anthropologists, students and volunteers. <br /><br />The Ministry has also launched a microsite for Singaporeans to share their ideas on how to enhance the island’s natural environment, biodiversity and history. The Ministry has received a number of good feedback thus far and will be studying these suggestions in detail. Members of the public who wish to find out more about the charming island and join in the Ubin conversation may visit the microsite at <a href="http://www.mnd.gov.sg/ubin">www.mnd.gov.sg/ubin</a>. <br /><br />On its part, NHB produced a documentary on the boat operators of Pulau Ubin as part of its Heritage In Episodes series and developed a virtual tour of Pulau Ubin’s main hub (around the jetty area) as part of its Walking Through Heritage series (<a href="https://www.nhb.gov.sg/NHBPortal/Resources/WalkingThroughHeritage/PulauUbin">https://www.nhb.gov.sg/NHBPortal/Resources/WalkingThroughHeritage/PulauUbin</a>). <br /><br />In addition, NHB collaborated with National Parks Board to showcase Pulau Ubin as part of the “Stories from Singapore’s Islands” exhibition currently on display at the National Museum of Singapore from 2 June to 10 August 2014. Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967211.post-56200403679793633792013-08-21T17:22:00.001+08:002013-08-21T17:22:54.387+08:00Hungry Ghost Festival 2013Pulau Ubin will be celebrating the 7th lunar month this evening (wed, 21aug) and tomorrow (thur, 22aug) with performances. too late for today's performance, grab your chance tomorrow!<div><br></div><div>Thanks to Alan Tan for always entertaining my requests for updates from Ubin every major festival!</div>Monkeynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967211.post-86634643891867059142012-08-25T14:47:00.000+08:002012-08-25T14:47:15.757+08:00Ubin Wayang Schedule 2012<br />It's time for the yearly lunar 7th month hungry ghost festival performances to the "good brothers" that are out from the underworld for a month of enjoyment again!<br /><br />The schedule for this year's teochew opera "wayang" performed at the free standing stage in the middle of Ubin town has been announced. Performances will be on 31 August and 1 September 2012.<br /><br />There will be complimentary boat services on these two nights - Changi to Ubin from 6.30pm to 10pm and Ubin to Changi from 8.00 - 11.00pm (8.30pm on 1 Sep).<br /><br />Thanks to Alan Tan for the information!<br /><br /><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8447/7855351894_0936aa2b75.jpg" width="450" /> <br /><br /><br /><br />Monkeynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967211.post-27194042180650260552012-07-26T13:07:00.001+08:002012-07-26T13:37:15.757+08:00News Feature of Ubin's "Ah Lian"<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/micamonkey/7648188742/" title="ubin ah lian by micamonkey, on Flickr"><img alt="ubin ah lian" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8281/7648188742_caba8918bd.jpg" width="400" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://blog.omy.sg/wbnews/files/2012/07/OMY_ST2507C20x2.jpg"><img align="right" hspace="10" src="http://blog.omy.sg/wbnews/files/2012/07/OMY_ST2507C20x2.jpg" vspace="10" width="150" /></a><br /><br /><br />&nbsp;Many of you may recognise her as "Ah Lian", the lady boss from the seafood restaurant by the sea on Ubin. She is the daughter-in-law of <a href="http://pulauubinstories.blogspot.sg/2008/03/oldest-man-on-pulau-ubin.html">Hai Liang</a> who owned the groccery shop that my mom frequented when she was a young girl on Ubin in the 1950s. Hai Liang <a href="http://pulauubinstories.blogspot.sg/2009/01/last-centurion-of-ubin-passes-away.html">passed away in 2009</a> but the family still lives on the island. <br /><br />Island's remaining resident count: 38 <br /><br />Lianhe Wanbao the Chinese tabloid is now doing a series of interview features with Ubin residents. Look out for it! Translation of this article will follow. Thanks to Alan Tan for the alert! <br />--- <br />Source: "陪读妈妈 20年风雨无阻 带孩子过海上学” Lianhe Wanbao, 25 Jul 2012Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967211.post-28943438971834345402012-04-22T11:07:00.004+08:002012-04-24T00:46:18.673+08:00Wild Malayan Porcupine found on Ubin<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/xoBZPvoqVN8" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />In 2006, the Malayan Porcupine (<i>Hystrix brachyura</i>) was caught on film by a <a href="http://habitatnews.nus.edu.sg/index.php?entry=/nature/20060713-tekong_porcupine-normanlim.txt">camera trap on Pulau Tekong</a>, an island just east of Pulau Ubin. Prior to that, Malayan Porcupines were never before reported on Pulau Tekong, and hardly seen since the 1970's. Habitatnews cited <a href="http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/biblio/singaporebiblio.html">a study by Yang, Yong &amp; Lim in 1990</a> that suggested while the Malayan Porcupine (<i>Hystrix brachyura</i>) was once common in forested areas between 19th century to the 1960's, and was "sometimes found in secondary forests" by 1973, by 1990, it "must be very rare if it still exists in Singapore". <br /><br />Fast forward to 2012, the Malayan Porcupine was yet again spotted, but this time on Pulau Ubin! Robert Teo from the National Parks Board (NParks) shares a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoBZPvoqVN8">video on youtube</a> of a Malayan Porcupine that had wandered into a ubin resident's compound in late Jan 2012. It was cornered by the resident's dogs, subsequently caught and caged. The NParks Forest Patrol discovered the little guy and helped to release him back into the forest. <br /><br />It's great to know that the wild Malayan Porcupine population seems to have thrived despite the rapid disappearance of their natural forest habitats in Singapore. <br /><br />Happy Earth Day everyone!<br /><br /><span style="color: red;">Update @ 23 April 2012</span> <br />&nbsp;Robert shared more on this first official sighting of the Malayan Porcupine on Ubin:<br /><br /><i>"<span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">During our regular Forest Patrol on 30 Mar 2012, my staff and volunteers found a Malayan Porcupine (</span></i><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">Hystrix brachyura</span><i><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">) caged in a resident’s home. It measured about 60-70 cm from nose to base of tail and appeared to be a female. The porcupine entered the resident’s compound in late Jan 2012 and was cornered by her dogs. It was subsequently netted and a cage was constructed to house it. The resident fed it with </span></i><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text"><i>apples, carrots &amp; kangkong</i>.</span><br /><i><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text"> <br /> The resident was reluctant to let it go as she thought it would not be able to survive on its own. She even asked that we send it to the zoo. We explained that the porcupine is a wild animal and would be able to fend for itself, and that the right thing to do was to return it to the wild. She requested to keep it over the weekend to show her relatives. On the morning of 2 Apr, we transported the cage to the forest nearby and released the porcupine."</span></i>Monkeynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967211.post-67247948244205327762011-05-26T12:42:00.005+08:002011-05-26T13:04:46.796+08:00Teochew Opera performance at Ubin<img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2151/5751629120_38314c13a3.jpg" width=400><br /><font size=1>Photos by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/budak/sets/72157626779595994/">Marcus Ng</a> (<a href="http://budak.blogs.com">Annotated Budak</a>)</font><br /><br />Did you catch the Teochew Opera performance (and getai show!) at Pulau Ubin last week (16-21 May 2011)? If you missed it, you can now relive the moment vicariously through the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/budak/sets/72157626779595994/">vivid photos of Marcus Ng, the Annotated Budak</a>. You can also read <a href="http://budak.blogs.com/the_annotated_budak/2011/05/village-seen.html">Marcus' account</a> on his blog. <br /><br />The performance marked the <a href="http://pulauubinstories.blogspot.com/2011/04/2011-tua-pek-kong-celebration-dates.html">birthday celebration</a> of Taoist diety, Tua Pek Gong (literally, "grand old man") - the diety worshipped at the temple in Ubin town. The crowd sure looked plentiful and almost reminiscent of yonder years when the island population passes a thousand.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5183/5759664811_609597bc88.jpg" width=400><br />Don't be sad, you can now follow us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/%E6%96%B0%E6%96%B0%E8%8D%A3%E5%92%8C%E6%BD%AE%E5%89%A7-Teochew-Opera/203875516303368?sk=wall">facebook</a> too!<br /><font size=1>Photos by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/budak/sets/72157626779595994/">Marcus Ng</a> (<a href="http://budak.blogs.com">Annotated Budak</a>)</font><br /><br />Teochew opera in itself is also a rapidly disappearing art form in cosmopolitan Singapore. Just as most Singaporeans takes on the interweb in social media platforms like Facebook, traditional art forms must catch up with times and follow suit! Lo and behold, the teochew opera troupe that performed on Ubin has a <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/%E6%96%B0%E6%96%B0%E8%8D%A3%E5%92%8C%E6%BD%AE%E5%89%A7-Teochew-Opera/203875516303368?sk=wall">Facebook page</a> too! If you missed the performance or loved it so much and want to catch more of it, show your support on Facebook! They also announce their performance dates around Singapore (not just Ubin!) and you can catch them "live" at a venue near you!<br /><br />In case you're eager to watch a piece of the performance right now, here's a video of the troupe's performance on youtube!<br /><br /><iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ckKa9fsrXc8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />Mind you, Ubin celebrations are not all traditional wayang only, Tua Pek Kong probably does enjoy such modern entertainments as well!<br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2215/5754965833_3a6ff8cd3e.jpg" width=400><br /><font size=1>Photos by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/budak/sets/72157626779595994/">Marcus Ng</a> (<a href="http://budak.blogs.com">Annotated Budak</a>)</font>Monkeynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967211.post-61336068027932646832011-04-29T14:14:00.002+08:002011-04-29T15:20:50.233+08:002011 Tua Pek Kong Celebration Dates<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tua_Pek_Kong">Tua Pek Kong</a> is a Chinese Taoist deity popularly worshipped by the Chinese community on our island city. In fact, the temple located in the centre of the Pulau Ubin town is precisely dedicated to the Tua Pek Kong. <br /><br />Annually, devotees would celebrate the birthday of each deity and Tua Pek Kong is no exception. The Tua Pek Kong temple would organise week long celebrations including traditional <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teochew_people#Culture">teochew opera</a> (affectionately known in Malay as <i>wayang</i> by the locals, referring to performance) and modern <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Getai">getai</a></i> (meaning song stage in mandarin) performances with bright lights and flamboyant singers in colourful costumes! <br /><br />This year, the Pulau Ubin Tua Pek Kong Temple will be celebrating Tua Pek Kong Birthday from 16 May to 21 May 2011. There will be nightly wayang show (16-20 May) and finale geitai show (21 May). <br /><br />Alan Tan, the NParks officer on Ubin, writes that there are usually free boat rides to Ubin from Changi Point Ferry Terminal on these dates from 6.30pm to 10pm. More details will be posted once he receives them.<br /><br />Do check out the festivities if you have the opportunity as it's a rare island celebration that is hard to come by today.Monkeynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967211.post-55872882230031760992010-11-05T11:38:00.004+08:002010-11-05T12:20:25.222+08:00Last of our Pioneers<img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4145/5147252317_db36af47a2.jpg"><br /><br />Pakcik Ali Bin Montail, deputy headman of Pulau Ubin, and owner of the blue coffee shop by the Ubin main jetty, passed away on the morning of 30 October 2010. He was 76. Pak Ali was battling cancer in the last leg of his life.<br /><br />I first read of Pak Ali before I even met him, tasted his wife's wonderful cooking and visited his establishment before I had the honor of being introduced to him. Certificates of honor grace the walls of his coffeeshop. You can see his active service to the people of Ubin through the commendations of his glory days.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1214/1156920321_f53732464f.jpg"><br /><br />Pak Ali was one of "The Spirited Pioneers" featured in the special edition "Nature Watch" magazine by NSS on Pulau Ubin in 1995. It wrote this of Pak Ali,<br /><br /><i><blockquote>"From the late 1960s to the 1980s, the younger generation in Ubin began to move to the mainland. It became an unstoppable trend. An islander that seems to have reversed the trend is 61-year-old Ali Bin Montail, the Deputy Headman of Ubin.<br /><br />Ali had been working on the mainland as an engine driver until 1965 when he returned to Ubin to live and work, also as an engine driver, for Gim Huat Quarry until his retirement in 1986. <br /><br />Ali had been born in swampy Kallang Rokok (Kallang Basin) and he had been brought to Ubin by his parents when he was a baby.<br /><br />"We were very poor", Ali recalls. There was no opportunity for him to go to school. When he was growing up, he helped his father tap rubber and fished to supplement their income. After the war years, Ali worked as a vehicle mechanic earning about $2 a day. The hardworking Malay mechanic caught the attention of a British Engineer, Reiner, who advised him to take up night classes.<br /><br />Ali took his advice and was later encouraged to study for the engine driver's certificate. This professional qualification enabled Ali to earn his living, first with the British RAF power station, and later with the Chinese quarry on Ubin.<br /><br />Ali got married when he was in his early 20s and he has seven adult children. Like Lim Chye Joo (<a href="http://pulauubinstories.blogspot.com/2006/10/pulau-ubin-headman-101-dies.html">late headman of Ubin</a>), the affable and energetic Ali threw himself into community service. He served in the Ubin Volunteer Special Constabulary in his younger days and since the late 1970s, he has been tirelessly involved in community centres of Changi and Pulau Ubin.<br /><br />More than this, Ali also took the initiative to supply the villagers clustered around the main Ubin jetty with electricity. He did this voluntarily for 14 years until TAS took over. For his unstinting service to the community, Ali was awarded the Public Service Medal (in 1983). The indefatigable Ali now runs a food shop in Ubin's main village. He serves fantastic mee siam."</blockquote></i>Over time as I began to be more familiar with Ubin and its residents, I have come to associate Pak Ali with a kindly smile and the fantastic <a href="http://pulauubinstories.blogspot.com/2007/10/endangered-ubin-lontong.html">lontong</a> that his wife whips up every Sunday. The wonderful cookies they offer to visitors at his coffee shop during Hari Raya. The friendliness of his family.<br /><br />You will be sorely missed.<br /><br />RIP Pak Ali.Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967211.post-9781395788602886192010-04-07T00:57:00.003+08:002010-04-07T01:18:32.841+08:00"Native Trees of Pulau Ubin"<img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/80/216746307_aa52a4d264.jpg" width=140 align=right>If you are interested to know more about the native flora of Ubin, the best person to hear from would be Mr Ali Ibrahim, a NParks Pulau Ubin Conservation Officer. Ali has had over 25 years of experience with plants, and many of those years were spent with Ubin flora. <br /><br />I had the privilege of going on a <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/micamonkey/tags/plantsurvey">plant survey</a> on Ubin with Ali once [photo on right] and can attest to his wealth of experience and knowledge. Not to mention, he also has some amazing tales about Ubin itself but that's another story for another day.<br /><br /><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Vxu_tx5NynY/S7lGUAOpiLI/AAAAAAAAhVU/9YJnbeeyzIo/s1600/ubintrees.JPG"><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Talk Synopsis</span><br />Pulau Ubin is greener today than in the 1960s. The native trees that have survived the ravages of the past, can still be found on the island. Many of these have grown into majestic, landmark trees and serve as signposts of Ubin's natural history. Come for this interesting talk by Ali Ibrahim, Pulau Ubin Conservation Officer, with over 25 years of experiences with plants.<br /><br />Time: 10-11.30am<br />Venue: Pulau Ubin, Ubin-HSBC Volunteer Hub. More on <a href="http://www.wildsingapore.com/ubin/going.htm">how to get to Pulau Ubin</a>.<br />Website: <a href="http://www.nparks.gov.sg/">http://www.nparks.gov.sg/</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Related Reads:</span><br /><a href="http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2010/04/10-apr-sat-talk-on-native-trees-of.html">10 Apr (Sat): Talk on "Native Trees of Pulau Ubin"</a> on Wild Shores of SingaporeMonkeynoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967211.post-75198319075829428742010-01-03T10:32:00.003+08:002010-01-03T10:43:04.111+08:0034 Ubin House<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/micamonkey/4188527303/" title="taken over by micamonkey, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2587/4188527303_043d48a2e6.jpg" width="400" alt="taken over" /></a><br /><br />Grant Pereira's <a href="http://pulauubinstories.blogspot.com/2007/03/green-house-soft-launches-on-24-march.html">GVN Green House</a> is now known as 34 Ubin House. It's care and charge has now been taken over by the Nature Society (Singapore) who has taken over the temporary occupation license (TOL) with SLA.<br /><br />Use of the house is still currently undetermined. Will update further when more is known.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/micamonkey/4188527287/" title="looking by micamonkey, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2510/4188527287_773976c302.jpg" height=200 alt="looking" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/micamonkey/4188527309/" title="inside by micamonkey, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2782/4188527309_4128c4bb15_m.jpg" height=200 alt="inside" /></a>Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967211.post-30943736046861527172010-01-02T10:26:00.007+08:002010-01-03T09:08:41.507+08:00Red tide affecting Pulau UbinRecently it's hit the news that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algal_bloom">massive algal bloom</a>, also known as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algal_bloom#.22Red_Tides.22">red tide</a>, has affected the waters surrounding Pulau Ubin, Changi and Pasir Ris. There are several ways in which harmful algal bloom could cause mortality in marine organisms. According to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algal_bloom">Wikipedia's entry on algal bloom</a>, these include:<br /><blockquote> 1. the production of neurotoxins which cause mass mortalities in fish, seabirds and marine mammals<br /> 2. mechanical damage to other organisms, such as disruption of epithelial gill tissues in fish, resulting in asphyxiation<br /> 3. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypoxia_(environmental)">oxygen depletion</a> of the water column (hypoxia or anoxia) from cellular respiration and bacterial degradation</blockquote>Human consumption of seafood which has been affected by these algal bloom can also be potentially deadly. Seafood lovers, do take note!<br /><br />As we know, large number of fish farms have been established in recent years by AVA in the straits of johor near Pulau Ubin. This red tide has also hit the fish farm resulting in large losses. Although reports in the news points to oxygen depletion, I wonder if there are possibilities of neurotoxins in the water or mechanical damages as pointed out earlier. As reported in the <a href="http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2009/12/why-are-there-so-many-dead-fish-on.html">Wild shore of Singapore</a> and <a href="http://wondercreation.blogspot.com/2009/12/dead-fish-on-pasir-ris-shore.html">God's wonderful creations</a>, non-fish marine organism have remained unaffected.<br /><br /><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Vxu_tx5NynY/Sz6MoGZv7_I/AAAAAAAAeoI/5wjTwEhQ5ds/s400/ST_IMAGES_MSFISH02.jpg"><br /><font size=1>Photo by Caroline Chia, <a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/Singapore/Story/STIStory_472705.html">Straits Times</a>, "Plankton bloom hits Pulau Ubin fish farms"</font><br /><br />Interestingly, some farmers would quoted to have "pumped seawater from greater depths to the surface to aerate the water there, and lowering nets so the fish swim in the more oxygen-rich water lying deeper in the ocean." However, the upwelling of seawater would also bring up the nutrients that usually lie at the bottom. Could this have fed more nutrients for algal growth?<br /><br />Further on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypoxia_(environmental)">wikipedia</a>, in occasions of hypoxia (or a depletion of oxygen in water), "fish kills can occur and invertebrates like worms and clams on the bottom may be killed as well." Crustaceans like crabs and shrimp would also be found dead. So far I have yet to read reports of dead crustacea or has any one spotted some? There could also be death not washed ashore. A healthy aquatic environment should have 80% dissolved oxygen and most fish cannot live with only less than 30% oxygen dissolved in the water.<br /><br />There are also natural occurrences of oxygen depletion:<blockquote><br />"Water flowing from a river into the sea is less dense than salt water. When this water does not mix with the underlying saline water, it sets up a stratification that results a decrease in vertical mixing. As a result, there is less supply of oxygen from the surface to the bottom, and the oxygen concentration in the bottom layer may become low enough for hypoxia to occur. Hypoxia is particularly problematic in shallow waters of semi-enclosed bodies of water like the Waddenzee or the Gulf of Mexico where land runoff is substantial. In these areas, a so-called "dead zone" can be created."</blockquote> <br />Interestingly, our straits of johor is relatively stagnant due to the presence of the causeway blocking off circulations in our straits. But Ubin being closer to the sea and to the mouth of Johor River, it is more likely that AVA's report of high freshwater discharge from monsoon storms into the sea could have caused this "natural" occurrence. The freshwater discharge "floats" on top of the saltwater. In this case the water at the bottom has less oxygen so for the fish farmers to lower their fish into the bottom or for them to bring water from the bottom to the top seems to defeat the purpose.<br /><br />Let's just hope that this does not become a permanent dead zone. According to wikipedia's section on "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypoxia_(environmental)#Solutions">solutions for hypoxia</a>", it would appear that "air injection" rather than "pumping seawater to the surface" for "aeration" would do a better job.<br /><br />If nothing else, let's hope that this incident would not result in another <a href="http://cjproject.blogspot.com/">2007 chek jawa mass mortality</a> due to johore flood waters. It's amazing how the same excessive freshwater would result in such different events just 2 years apart. In fact, every year we suffer from similar monsoon freshwater discharges into our straits but why such a reaction this time round? Or could it be that we never noticed before due to the lack of fish farm with thousands of reared fish vulnerable to these natural changes? Perhaps when we situate our aquaculture facilities, we never took into consideration these seasonal fluctuations? Perhaps it's time we start! Most importantly, it's important that these human interferences such as aquaculture fish farms do not exacerbate the problem and result in negative impact on our already vulnerable marine ecosystems and wild population of marine life. Fingers crossed, nature will find its own equilibrium and return our waters back to normalcy soon!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Below are related news report:</span><br />"<a href="http://wildsingaporenews.blogspot.com/2010/01/fish-farms-in-west-spared-from-plankton.html">Fish farms in west spared from plankton woes</a>", Irene Tham, Straits Times 3 Jan 10<br />"<a href="http://wildsingaporenews.blogspot.com/2010/01/plankton-bloom-hits-pulau-ubin-fish.html">Plankton bloom hits Pulau Ubin fish farms</a>" Melissa Sim, Straits Times 2 Jan 10<br />"<a href="http://wildsingaporenews.blogspot.com/2010/01/200000-fish-in-farms-off-pasir-ris-dead.html">200,000 fish in farms off Pasir Ris dead</a>", Carolyn Quek & Jessica Lim, Straits Times 1 Jan 10<br />"<a href="http://wildsingaporenews.blogspot.com/2010/01/johor-fishermen-cry-foul-over-dead.html">Johor fishermen cry foul over dead fishes</a>", Moh Farhaan Shah, The Star 1 Jan 10<br />"<a href="http://wildsingaporenews.blogspot.com/2009/12/dead-fish-on-pasir-ris-beach.html">Dead fish on Pasir Ris beach</a>", Straits Times 29 Dec 09<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Ria Tan of WildSingapore offers her take on the situation:</span><br /><a href="http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2010/01/dead-fish-zone-hits-pulau-ubin.html">"Dead fish zone" hits Pulau Ubin</a>, 2 Jan 2010, Wild shores of Singapore<br /><a href="http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2009/12/why-are-there-so-many-dead-fish-on.html">Why are there so many dead fish on Pasir Ris</a>, 30 Dec 2009, Wild shores of Singapore<br /><a href="http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2009/12/closer-look-at-dead-fish-found-on-pasir.html">A closer look at dead fish found on Pasir Ris</a>, 30 Dec 2009, Wild shores of Singapore<br /><a href="http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2009/12/dead-fish-at-pasir-ris.html">Dead fish at Pasir Ris</a>, 29 Dec 2009, Wild shores of SingaporeMonkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967211.post-87623266708258039762009-09-03T09:31:00.003+08:002009-09-03T15:42:18.179+08:00Hungry Ghost Festival WayangAccording to our friendly nparks officers on Ubin, we have been informed that the annual chinese wayang performances for Hungry Ghost Festival is going to be on from tonight 3 Sept 2009 (Thursday) to 4 Sept 2009 (Friday).<br /><br />Update: The performance begins at 7pm. Free boat ride to Pulau Ubin begins at 6.30pm.Monkeynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967211.post-61119578297921690802009-07-09T14:55:00.005+08:002009-07-09T15:06:42.427+08:00Greater Mousedeer Populations on Pulau Ubin<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3299/3637270748_11bf3c55d3.jpg?v=0"><br /><font size=1>A <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/budak/3637270748/">picture of the lesser mousedeer</a> taken in Singapore at the central catchment by the Annotated Budak. Not exactly the greater mousedeer and not on Ubin but it was in the wilderness of Singapore!</font> <br /><br />Previously we mentioned <a href="http://pulauubinstories.blogspot.com/2009/03/greater-mouse-deer-sighted-in-pulau.html">mousedeers being sighted on Ubin</a>. NUS biology honors student, Marcus Chua, who has been surveying these mammals for a while now for his honors research thesis, will now be presenting his findings at this upcoming talk on the Greater Mousedeer Populations on Ubin.<br /><br /><b>Greater Mousedeer Populations on Pulau Ubin.</b><br />Talk by Marcus Chua, NUS, Honours Student<br /><br />The greater mouse deer was recently rediscovered in Pulau Ubin, an island which is one of Singapore's last rural places and a popular recreation area. What led to their rediscovery and comeback? What other mammals can be found on Pulau Ubin? Why are they threatened? Can this little hoofed creature and other medium-sized mammals live alongside man on Pulau Ubin?<br /><br />The title of his thesis is "Can Medium-sized Mammals Co-exist with Man on Pulau Ubin". And it was his honours research project.<br /><br /><b>Date : 24 Jul 2009 12:00 pm - 12:45 pm<br />Venue : Singapore Botanic Gardens,<br />Botany Centre, Function Hall</b><br /><br />Please register at <a href="http://nparks.eventshub.sg/ems_wb_Details.aspx?CalID=5&EventID=85960">this website</a><br />(Click on "Mousedeer Talk" tab) <br /><br /><font color=red>Editor's Note:</font><br />I will not be able to attend this event as I will be giving a talk on the same day. Is anybody interested or willing to write a blog report of this talk for Pulau Ubin Stories? Volunteers would be most appreciated. Feel free to leave a comment. Thank you!Monkeynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967211.post-8156548344017600072009-06-21T13:07:00.002+08:002009-06-21T13:11:56.063+08:00Pulau Ubin Stories Workshop, 3 Jul 2009, 7pm<img src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_i0mYoqrsMEY/R4ZkqB0YsCI/AAAAAAAAAI0/r4yAkUAzVko/S660/workshopheaderbanner.gif" width=150 align=right>I will be conducting a workshop suitable for nature guides and those of us who frequent Ubin and would like to share more of the island's history and geography with friends and family. This is not a talk but a workshop with activities that would help to enhance public communication. I am still hoping to invite some special guest speakers who are veterans on the island who would hopefully be able to share stories that even I don't know about!<br /><br />Vacancies are limited. Only 10 spots left! Do register early to avoid being disappointed.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Date:</span> 3 July 2009, Friday<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Time:</span> 7.00pm - 9.30pm<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Venue:</span> Civil Service College<br />31 North Buona Vista Road Singapore 275983<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">PLEASE REGISTER AT</span><br /><a href="http://is.gd/16XCb">http://is.gd/16XCb</a><br /><br /><b>SPEAKER</b><br />November Tan<br />November is a graduate student in the Department of Geography at NUS as well as an active nature guide on Pulau Ubin amongst others. 3 generations of her family traces their roots back to Pulau Ubin and she traces hers on <a href="http://pulauubinstories.blogspot.com">Pulau Ubin Stories</a>, a blog which archives the stories old and new on Pulau Ubin. She did her undergraduate honors thesis on "Saving Chek Jawa: Social Capital and Networks in Nature Conservation". She has also authored several heritage trails publications for the National Heritage Board. She currently coordinate workshops for nature guides at The Leafmonkey Workshop and writes at the <a href="http://leafmonkey.blogspot.com">Midnight Monkey Monitor</a>.Monkeynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967211.post-47328321495181158212009-05-09T14:51:00.005+08:002009-05-09T15:15:02.256+08:00Wayang Performance<img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1302/1259762551_fec22ed710.jpg?v=0" width=400><br /><font size=1>The multi-tasking troupe master backstage at Ubin in 2007.</font><br /><br />Adelle of Nparks sent a message to the <a href="http://uvp.blogspot.com/">Ubin Volunteers</a> recently,<br /><br />"The red, white and black palette of colours defined their facial features, their colourful costumes fluttered aross the stage with every movement of their body, the veteran performers are singing to the familiar tune with the small backstage band.<br /><br />The town in Pulau Ubin had come alive with colours, sound, smell and sights during the celebration of "Tua Pek Kong's Birthday.<br /><br />Celebrations commences today, 8th May and ends 13th May.<br /><br />Do drop by if you are interested to catch a glimspe of traditional opera performances in Pulau Ubin.<br /><br />Tradition wayang (8th-10th May) makes way for modernised "Getai" (13th May) on the last day and bumboat rides in and out of Ubin are free in most evenings from 6.30pm on these days.<br /><br />For more information, just simply drop by Pulau Ubin. =)"Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967211.post-2952701956198879632009-03-26T10:42:00.004+08:002009-07-09T15:07:04.840+08:00Greater Mouse Deer sighted in Pulau UbinFinally <a href="http://twitter.com/sivasothi/status/1392029721">the news is out</a>! There has been greater mouse deers sighted in Pulau Ubin these past year by Biology undergrad Marcus Chua and the Nparks staff and volunteers around the island. What exciting news!<br /><br /><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Vxu_tx5NynY/ScrEp3oVCoI/AAAAAAAATZE/TmXZqdF48Y4/s400/mousedeer.jpg" /><br />Photo by Arthur Chng taken from <a href="http://wildsingaporenews.blogspot.com/2009/03/greater-mouse-deer-sighted-in-pulau.html">WildSingapore News</a><br /><br /><a href="http://wildsingaporenews.blogspot.com/2009/03/greater-mouse-deer-sighted-in-pulau.html">Greater Mouse Deer sighted in Pulau Ubin</a> <br />Animal thought to be extinct in Singapore spotted for first time in 80 years<br />Ang Yiying, <a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/print/Singapore/Story/STIStory_354737.html">Straits Times</a> 26 Mar 09;<br /><br />SEPARATE sightings of mouse deer here and on Pulau Ubin have brought hope that native wildlife is making a comeback in Singapore.<br /><br />The Greater Mouse Deer - one of the smallest hoofed animals in the world - was seen on Pulau Ubin during a survey by the National University of Singapore and National Parks Board (NParks) from last September to this month.<br /></p>This is the first official sighting of the wild Greater Mouse Deer in more than 80 years, confirmed NParks.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />The Lesser Mouse Deer, which has a browner coat, against the Greater's more orange colouring, was seen around the Lower Peirce Reservoir boardwalk, near Upper Thomson Road, on March 7.<br /><br />Book distributor Ron Chan, 62, said he spotted the mouse deer when he was taking a walk with his family.<br /><br />He said: 'It's a very beautiful animal and its eyes are sparkling black.'<br /><br />He alerted a nearby nature photography enthusiast, Mr Arthur Chng, in his 30s, to take a photo of the creature.<br /><br />The hobby photographer said it was the first time he had seen a mouse deer, and that it was a good sign that Singapore wildlife has not disappeared due to encroaching urbanisation.<br /><br />NParks said that over the past two years, there have been four sightings of mouse deer around the Lower Peirce Reservoir boardwalk.<br /><br />Three were of the Lesser Mouse Deer and the other of the Greater Mouse Deer, which could be one of seven such animals that NParks introduced into the Central Catchment Nature Reserve in 1998.<br /><br />For NUS life sciences undergraduate Marcus Chua, 25, sighting the Greater Mouse Deer on Pulau Ubin was an unexpected discovery.<br /><br />He was working with NParks and its volunteers on a survey of medium-sized mammals for his final-year project.<br /><br />He said: 'At first, there was doubt because it was recorded as extinct in Singapore; that was the first time we saw it. When we got a clearer picture (of the mouse deer), we were very excited.'<br /><br />On Pulau Ubin, the group has chalked up 100 sightings of the Greater Mouse Deer in more than one area, so it was unlikely that these are abandoned or escaped pets. The species is also not known to swim, so the animals there are unlikely to have come from those released in the catchment area.<br /><br />'We were quite happy that a population thought to be extinct could have recovered, like bouncing back to life,' Mr Chua said.<br /><br />Ms Celine Low, co-founder of environmental education group Cicada Tree Eco-Place, said one reason the Greater Mouse Deer was seen again on Pulau Ubin could be the decreased human population and activity there.<br /><br />She said: 'It could be because the last quarry closed in the 1990s and there are fewer workers there and because of relocation of villagers to the mainland.'<br /><br />Nature Society of Singapore president Shawn Lum said the presence of mouse deer was a good sign for not just native wildlife but also the eco-system. 'They play an important role in the ecology of the forest...It's great news for the long- term stability and regeneration of the rainforest,' he said.<br /><br />NParks said it is conducting surveys to ascertain the population of these creatures.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Shy and nocturnal creatures</span><br /><a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/print/Singapore/Story/STIStory_354734.html">Straits Times</a> 26 Mar 09;<br /><br />MOUSE deer are native to Singapore and are known to exist in parts of Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, the forested area that borders MacRitchie Reservoir, Lower Peirce Reservoir, Upper Peirce Reservoir and Upper Seletar Reservoir.<br /><br />Mr Biswajit Guha, assistant director of zoology at the Singapore Zoo, said the Greater and Lesser Mouse Deer are fairly common throughout South-east Asia and not severely threatened.<br /><br />However, in Singapore, the Greater Mouse Deer is thought to be extinct while the Lesser Mouse Deer is said to be critically endangered.<br /><br />Said Mr Guha: 'The Greater Mouse Deer sports a more orange coat, while the Lesser has a browner coat.'<br /><br />GREATER MOUSE DEER (<span style="font-style: italic;">Tragulus napu</span>)<br /># Head-body length: 520mm to 572mm<br /># Shoulder height: 300mm to 350mm<br /># Weight: 3.5kg to 4.5kg<br /><br />LESSER MOUSE DEER (<span style="font-style: italic;">Tragulus kanchil</span>)<br /># Head-body length: 400mm to 550mm<br /># Shoulder height: 200mm to 230mm<br /># Weight: 1.4kg to 2.5 kg<br /><br />NParks says sightings of mouse deer are rare, especially during the day. It advises the public to keep quiet when encountering such animals, which are shy and nocturnal by nature.</span>Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967211.post-75192924347647645302009-01-11T11:22:00.005+08:002009-01-11T16:33:15.068+08:00Last Centenarian of Ubin passes away<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/micamonkey/3186009249/sizes/l/"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3342/3186009249_832d8186db.jpg"></a><br /><font size=1>Click on image for full size</font><br /><br />Last Thursday, 8 January 2009, Mr Tan Hai Liang, <a href="http://pulauubinstories.blogspot.com/2008/03/oldest-man-on-pulau-ubin.html">the oldest man of Ubin</a>, passed away at the age of 102 after sustaining a fall at his ubin home a few days prior. <br /><br />My mom fondly remembers buying cola from his shop near the island's only school back in the 60s. The family still runs the little provision shop near the island's main town and jetty. His children has also converted the storeroom into a thriving and popular seafood restaurant. <br /><br />The other centenarian, the former headman of Ubin, Mr Lim Chye Joo, passed away 3 years ago at age 101. He's featured in the photo in the article, on the right of the photo. Mr Tan is on the left.<br /><br />I visited Mr Tan with Jen Lee from TNP just one year ago <a href="http://pulauubinstories.blogspot.com/2008/04/pulau-ubin-featured-on-new-paper.html">for an article on him</a> and not even a year later, he's left us and Ubin with the last of his generation. Rest in Peace "Ah Gong".<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Related Reads</span><br /><a href="http://pulauubinstories.blogspot.com/2008/03/oldest-man-on-pulau-ubin.html">Oldest Man on Pulau Ubin</a>, Pulau Ubin Stories, 31 March 2008<br /><a href="http://pulauubinstories.blogspot.com/2008/04/pulau-ubin-featured-on-new-paper.html">Pulau Ubin featured on New Paper</a>, Pulau Ubin Stories, 1 April 2008<br /><br /><i>Was Mr Tan the last cenetenarian on Ubin? If you know of other cenetenarian (100 year old person) on Ubin, please share with us. Thank you!</i>Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967211.post-27753895591345335002009-01-07T22:01:00.010+08:002009-01-07T22:20:07.461+08:00Trail to Chek Jawa closed<a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3011/3107434990_ac333cbf63_o.jpg"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3011/3107434990_8b0771133e.jpg?v=0" width=400></a><br /><font size=1>Notice of Track Closure for Improvement Works posted at the bike rental shops in the main town area. Photo taken in December 2008</font><br /><br />Regular visitors to Pulau Ubin would long have noticed that one of the access roads to Pulau Ubin, an off road trail, has been closed for some time now. This is the trail that passes by the Balai Quarry via the Northeast of the island. For cyclists, this was once a treacherous track. Many accidents, falls and spills had taken place on this trail.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/237/527903405_87481d3fd1.jpg?v=0" width=400><br /><font size=1>The trail in question, Balai Quarry on the right of photo. Taken in June 2007.</font><br /><br />As such, NParks is now conducting large scale maintenance, trim and fill of the trail. Some parts of the trail have been filled up with soil up to 2-3m high! While it is undergoing maintenance, cyclists are strongly advised against using this trail for their own safety! The alternate route to Chek Jawa is via Kampung Melayu through the southeast of the island.<br /><br />The trail is expected to be reopened in February 2009.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/225/527896725_dcc7363119.jpg?v=0" width=400><br /><font size=1>Balai Quarry, June 2007.</font>Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967211.post-53228108603970767232008-11-28T14:11:00.010+08:002009-04-14T20:51:26.666+08:00Wildlife sighting on UbinThere appears to be quite a fair bit of wildlife sightings on Pulau Ubin of late. It's always wonderful news to hear of possibly other mammals on the island other than wild boars and homosapiens! (Oh, and we have <a href="http://pulauubinstories.blogspot.com/2006/02/toddycat-caught-on-ubin.html">civet cats</a> and <a href="http://pulauubinstories.blogspot.com/2008/08/family-of-otters-spotted-at-jelutong.html">otters</a> too!)<br /> <br />On the other hand, Ubin has had its share of mega faunas such as the <a href="http://pulauubinstories.blogspot.com/2004/09/photo-archives-tapirs.html">tapirs</a> and a <a href="http://pulauubinstories.blogspot.com/2006/01/ubin-elephant-gets-female-escort-home.html">visiting elephant</a> in the 90s.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Related Reads:</span><br />"<a href="http://pulauubinstories.blogspot.com/2004/06/its-zoo-out-there.html">It's a zoo out there</a>", Pulau Ubin Stories, 03 June 2004<br /><a href="http://pulauubinstories.blogspot.com/2005/04/animals-of-ubin.html">Animals of Ubin</a>, Pulau Ubin Stories, 4 April 2005<br />Assorted <a href="http://pulauubinstories.blogspot.com/search?q=elephant">Elephant Stories</a> on Pulau Ubin StoriesMonkeynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967211.post-17865460156269699822008-11-17T19:26:00.002+08:002008-11-17T19:52:34.403+08:00Ubin Lodge is now open!<img src="http://img.skitch.com/20081117-tq6ug92bqiywem5c92s7gy5w2i.jpg" alt="Welcome to Ubin Lodge" width=400><br /><br /><a href="http://pulauubinstories.blogspot.com/2008/02/former-civil-service-college-chalet.html">In February 08, I reported</a> that the former Civil Service Club Chalets were renovated and ready to be open for corporate bookings according to the caretaker.<br /><br />2 weeks ago, a lil bird told me that the former CSC Chalet is now known as <a href="http://www.ubinlodge.com.sg/">Ubin Lodge</a> is open for public bookings! Rates are relatively cheap, near the Ubin Jetty and perhaps this might be a good boost to the visitorship on the island. Perhaps finally there'll be an excuse to visit the island more often! More overnight stays too perhaps?<br /><br />This place is definitely memorable as I will always remember the stories of how <a href="http://www.wildsingapore.com/riablog/people/ria.htm">Ria Tan</a> booked the old Civil Service Chalets for the volunteers helping out with Chek Jawa in 2001. This was when <a href="http://chekjawa.nus.edu.sg/">Chek Jawa</a> was still about to be reclaimed, prior to deferment! Low tide was at unmentionable hours and volunteers need to be there whenever the tide calls so that they could survey the flora and fauna of CJ! I'm sure those volunteers would have many stories to tell about the civil service chalets!<br /><br /><b>Related Reads:</b><br /><a href="http://www.ubinlodge.com.sg/">Ubin Lodge Official Website</a><br /><a href="http://www.wildsingapore.com/ubin/places/ccchalets.htm">Civil Service Chalets on Ubin</a>, WildSingapore<br /><a href="http://pulauubinstories.blogspot.com/2008/02/former-civil-service-college-chalet.html">Former Civil Service Chalet</a>, Pulau Ubin Stories, 18 February 2008<br /><a href="http://www.wildsingapore.com/news/20061112/061215-1.htm">Bed & Breakfast or resort likely on Pulau Ubin as first public tender called on island</a>, Channel News Asia, 14 December 2006Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967211.post-12754634030635743192008-11-17T19:22:00.000+08:002008-11-17T19:22:54.879+08:00Ubin, the clean-energy island<span style="font-weight: bold;">Island to become model 'green island' powered by clean and renewable energy</span><br />Tania Tan &amp; Amresh Gunasingham, <a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/print/Prime%2BNews/Story/STIStory_299649.html">Straits Times</a> 8 Nov 08;<br /><br />ONE of Singapore's last rural enclaves could soon be transformed into a high-tech test site for renewable energies.<br /><br />The Energy Market Authority (EMA) yesterday announced plans to embark on a project to turn Pulau Ubin into a model 'green island' powered entirely by clean and renewable energy.<br /><br />'We want to use technologies that will best integrate into the island's natural environment,' said Mr David Tan, deputy chief executive of EMA's energy policy and planning division.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Vxu_tx5NynY/SRYrml-7D4I/AAAAAAAAOp8/d_PTvVAncF0/s1600-h/ubingreen.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Vxu_tx5NynY/SRYrml-7D4I/AAAAAAAAOp8/d_PTvVAncF0/s400/ubingreen.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266444756287426434" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="fullpost"><br />Aside from solar panels and using waste as fuel for energy generation, electricity could also be produced from a hydrogen fuel cell plant, biofuels or turbines powered by wind or waves.<br /><br />'The key is finding the right fit,' said Mr Tan.<br /><br />A tender for a consultancy study has been called, and the project will be awarded later this month.<br /><br />The six-month study, slated for completion in May, will look at how much energy is needed by residents on the 10 sq km island, and the most cost-effective combination of renewable energy technologies that can be used.<br /><br />Apart from the fact that the project will be situated near the Ubin jetty, details are still sketchy, said Mr Tan.<br /><br />Pulau Ubin, situated to the north-east of Singapore, does not draw electricity from the country's main power grid, because it has been too expensive to lay transmission cables for such low demand.<br /><br />Instead, about 100 villagers use diesel generators, which are not environmentally friendly.<br /><br />The Nature Society of Singapore welcomed the project on principle but said it had to be done right, from the start.<br /><br />'Given the number of stakeholders involved, it would be wise to accommodate the concerns of the island's inhabitants as early as possible in the decision-making process, not so much to seek their permission, but to foster community involvement,' said Dr Shawn Lum, its president.<br /><br />The non-profit organisation conducts regular visits to nature park Chek Jawa, located on the eastern coast of the island.<br /><br />But islanders are open to the prospect of reliable, non-polluting power.<br /><br />A shopkeeper in Ubin, who wanted to be known as Ms Tan, said that because the island was run on generators which were prone to breakdowns, any help to boost power supply would be welcome.<br /><br />The Ubin project is the latest in a slew of programmes to transform Singapore into a global centre for clean R&amp;D.<br /><br />In September, the National Environment Agency announced plans to convert the Semakau landfill into a renewable energy test site cum eco-park.<br /><br />The Government has also pumped some $170 million into boosting the clean technology sector, with plans to build a business park devoted to companies specialising in clean technologies and products. The first building on the 55ha site at Jalan Bahar is expected to be completed in 2010. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span> </span>Monkeynoreply@blogger.com0